


lips so good i forget my name

by guitarstrings



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty being in denial, F/F, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-09 01:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14706162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guitarstrings/pseuds/guitarstrings
Summary: “What signals?” Betty laughs, waving her hand in dismissal. “Like I said, this is Veronica, and she always asks me to go shopping with her.”“Oh my God,” Kevin groans in exasperation. “Listen, Betty, shopping is different. Shopping is you two, out in a public place, trying clothes on in a dressing room. Separately.”Or, Betty is busy making excuses for Veronica's touchy-feely behavior and everyone is tired of her being dense on purpose.





	lips so good i forget my name

**Author's Note:**

> I figured I'd take a short break from writing angst and go for something light instead, and this is what came out of it lol.
> 
> Title of this fic taken from "Never Enough" by One Direction.

Betty is convinced that Veronica has a dresser filled with different shades and kinds of lipstick. Because every day she wears a different color, and never the same one twice in a week. Actually, not even in two weeks.

Today it’s pink, and, incidentally, it’s also the color of the sweater Betty wears to school that day. The lighter shade brings out Veronica’s brown eyes; eyes that lock onto Betty that morning.

Not that Betty looks at Veronica’s lips often enough to be able to distinguish the varying tint painting them, really, she _isn’t._

But Veronica is kind of making it hard for her to _not_ stare when she’s standing so close to Betty, close enough that Betty can lean in ever so slightly and she’d be kissing Veronica.

Not that she’s thinking of kissing Veronica, of course, because really, she isn’t at all.

Betty adjusts the strap of her backpack and shoves one hand in her pocket, shooting Veronica a quirky half-smile because she can’t seem to form coherent sentences in her head.

“Hi,” Veronica smiles, brushing her fingertips against Betty’s wrist.

Betty’s unsure whether to suck in a breath or simply not breathe at all, until she manages to form a response. “Hey.”

The smile Veronica wears grows wider, fingernails raking lightly against the back of Betty’s hand and eyelashes fluttering as she looks up. It’s nothing new, how Veronica is so affectionate with her.

But there’s a look in Veronica’s eyes that’s… different. Betty can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but there’s a softness that she doesn’t think has been there before.

And before she can dwell any further on it, Veronica’s suddenly going on tiptoe and kissing her cheek. A rush of air surges right into Betty’s lungs and gets knocked out all at once, her brain going into overdrive while she registers the sticky feel of Veronica’s lipstick against her skin.

Veronica kissing her cheek isn’t anything new either, in fact, she does it ever so often that it shouldn’t catch Betty off guard anymore. But this one in particular does, with the way Veronica’s lips seem to linger a few more seconds than the usual.

Betty’s ears are pink by the time Veronica pulls back, and she’s afraid that if she tries to speak she’ll just end up choking on air and making a fool of herself.

“Walk me to class?” Veronica asks, reaching out to twirl a lock of Betty’s hair around her finger.

Betty opens her mouth to respond, but no sound comes out so she snaps it back shut and nods instead.

At that, Veronica beams, and Betty releases a breath she didn’t know she was holding, resisting the urge to touch the spot where Veronica’s lips had been.

And, unbeknownst to them both, a gleeful Kevin had been watching the exchange with a face-splitting grin. 

* * *

 

“So, what was that about?” Kevin asks as they settle in for their first class.

Betty shoots him a confused look. “What was what about?”

Kevin stares at her, slowly shaking his head.

“What?” Betty persists, at a complete loss as to what Kevin is getting at.

“Veronica kissing your cheek? What’s up with _that_?”

Flushing a bright pink, Betty fiddles with the sleeve of her shirt and mumbles, “There’s nothing up, Kev. I mean, she kisses me on the cheek all the time.”

“Uh-huh,” Kevin scoffs, clearly not buying it. “And her shooting heart eyes at you is also normal, isn’t it?”

“That’s not- this is _Veronica_ we’re talking about, Kev. That’s just how she is,” Betty argues as she tries to dismiss the possibility of those kisses meaning something more.

And it’s not like Veronica’s kissing her on the _lips,_ so why is this becoming a big deal all of a sudden?

Kevin sighs and shakes his head again. “Whatever you want to believe, sweetheart.”

_Whatever you want to believe._

So that’s exactly what Betty is going to do.

Continue believing that none of what Veronica does mean anything more than friendly affection. It makes sense, because Veronica’s just that touchy-feely of a person and they _are_ best friends, so that’s all there is to it.

* * *

 

At this point, Betty’s not surprised to find Archie standing outside the door with a sheepish smile on his face.

“What happened to the poor gal this time?” Betty teases, nodding to Archie’s car sitting outside their garage.

Archie lets out a nervous laugh and shrugs, which again, isn’t surprising either. “I’m not sure, exactly. But I’ve got a date with Val later and, well, you know.”

“Alright, say no more. I got it,” Betty laughs, patting Archie on the back.

“Sorry, Betts. Did you have plans with Veronica? Because if you do-“

Before Archie can finish his sentence, Betty’s phone pings from her back pocket. She fishes it out and finds a text from Veronica, bringing a smile to her face.

_so does my girl have plans to spend time with her dear veronica? –v_

Cracking a grin, Betty quickly types out a response and hits send.

_sorry, but i actually have plans with another girl :P –b_

“Uh, Betty?”

Betty sobers up, remembering that Archie is still with her.

“No, it’s okay. You’re good. I’ll have her fixed up in a jiffy.”

Relieved, Archie grins and pats Betty’s shoulder. “Thanks so much, Betts. I owe you one.”

“No problem, I wouldn’t want to let Val walk all the way home later.”

“I don’t, either. Thanks again, Betty. I really appreciate it,” Archie says gratefully, handing the keys to Betty before walking away.

After Archie leaves, Betty checks her phone again and reads the latest text from Veronica.

_please, i don’t even know who she is but i already know i’m a lot more interesting –v_

_i dunno, v. i mean, she’s got nice, blue highlights in her hair and a pretty shine out in the sun. can anyone get any more gorgeous than that? –b_

_…you’re talking about archie’s car, aren’t you? god, that thing is a nightmare. stealing my bestie from me and all. completely unacceptable and veronica lodge will not stand for this. -v_

_careful there, v. she’s a pretty sensitive gal –b_

_hey, i’m sensitive, too! –v_

_mmhmm. i believe you. anyway, I gotta go finish her up before archie’s date. talk to you later? –b_

_fine, go ahead and ignore me now  :( -v_

Betty lets out a laugh and shakes her head in amusement, whistling a happy tune as she parks Archie’s car in their garage and starts looking for the source of the problem.

Or _problems_ because there’s more than one. Betty clucks her tongue as she slides underneath the car, fixing every wrong thing she lays her eyes on.

And working on whatever potential problem could arise in the future, because knowing Archie, oh boy.

“Betty?”

Wait, that’s Veronica.

She wheels out from underneath and finds Veronica leaning over her, raven hair falling down in waves and tickling Betty’s face.

“V? What are you doing here?”

Veronica scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Did you really think I was just going to sit back and let this thing have all your attention? No way.”

Betty chuckles, warmth rising in her chest because she knows Veronica finds this kind of thing to be boring, but she came anyway.

“Thanks, V.”

“For you, darling? Anytime. Even if you are-“ she spares Betty a glance, wrinkling her nose at the grease stains that cover Betty’s hands and tank top, “-all covered in grease.”

For a split second, Betty swears Veronica licks her lips as her gaze flickers towards her arms, but it’s pushed to the back of her head when Veronica kisses her forehead.

Betty inhales sharply, lungs suddenly devoid of air. “What was that for?”

“For putting up with Archie’s car troubles without any complaints,” Veronica shrugs. “And it’s the only part of your face that isn’t dirty.”

At that, Betty laughs, and she tries not to wonder what part of her face Veronica would have kissed if it wasn’t marked with grime.

But it wasn’t going to be on the lips, right?

Probably not.

“Well then, I’ll suffer in silence now until I get your undivided attention,” Veronica sighs dramatically.

Betty lets out another laugh, grin fixed firmly in place as she resumes working on the car.

It’s just so hard not to be happy whenever Veronica’s around.

* * *

 

Betty is thankful that Veronica always sits next to and not in front of her during lunch. Because Veronica beside her means Betty not staring at her lips, so everything is all well and good.

Except that Veronica likes to squeeze in as close as possible to Betty, meaning their arms and shoulders are constantly brushing against each other.

They flit from one topic to another, until they settle on Reggie’s upcoming party this weekend. Which somehow gives Veronica the cue to do… whatever it is she’s doing to Betty.

Placing her hand on Betty’s knee, Veronica shifts to her side and bumps their shoulders together.

“Speaking of parties,” Veronica starts, curling her fingers around Betty’s arm. “I got new dresses a few days ago, and I’d love it if you came over and watched me try them on.”

Betty almost chokes on her food, not missing the way Veronica’s voice takes on a slight purr at the end. Kevin looks like Christmas came early, Archie stares back and forth between them, and Jughead just looks bored and uninterested.

“I, uh, sure. Why not?” Betty splutters, face burning as Veronica leans in and gives her yet another peck on the cheek.

“Thanks, B! You’re the best,” Veronica grins, face lit up and practically glowing.

Kevin gives Betty a look, which she actively pretends not to notice.

* * *

 

As Betty predicted, Kevin wouldn’t let it go. He hovers in front of her desk after last period, and Betty likes to think that if she acts like he’s not there, he’ll give up and leave.  

But he doesn’t, and Betty sighs and rubs at her eyes. She knows what’s coming next, but all the same she waits for him to say it out loud.

“Okay, what happened at lunch?” Kevin starts, dead serious. “That was _definitely_ Veronica giving you signals.”

“What signals?” Betty laughs, waving her hand in dismissal. “Like I said, this is _Veronica,_ and she always asks me to go shopping with her.”

“Oh my God,” Kevin groans in exasperation. “Listen, Betty, shopping is different. Shopping is you two, out in a public place, trying clothes on in a dressing room. _Separately._ ”

“And?”

“Betty, she literally said she would love it if you _watched_ her try her new dresses on.”

Okay, Betty does get his point. They’re going to be alone in Veronica’s bedroom while she puts on her clothes for Betty to see, etcetera, etcetera.

The thing is, he seems to be forgetting that Veronica has a tendency of putting more weight to her words than what she intends them to mean. She’s always had a flair for the dramatics, that much Betty knows and understands about Veronica.

So she honestly can’t understand why he’s trying to make such a big deal out of things.

“And I’m literally saying right now that it probably means nothing,” Betty says with a hint of finality, slinging the strap of her backpack over her shoulder as she stands up. “You’ll see.”

Before Kevin can edge in another word, Betty turns and leaves, ignoring the small voice in her head that he could be right and she’s the one in the wrong.

_You’ll see._

Betty grips her backpack strap tighter, and she’s not entirely sure why she’s so determined to prove Kevin wrong.

Especially when the bigger part of her desperately wants him to be right.

* * *

 

Dark colors look good on Veronica.

It’s what Betty thinks as Veronica slips into a sleeveless, navy blue dress. Her throat feels dry as she watches Veronica shimmy into it, the way she sways her hips hypnotizing Betty.

“I’m not boring you, am I?” Veronica asks, brushing her hair aside.

Betty blinks and shakes her head, turning her attention to the small pile of clothes that are waiting for their turn to be tried out. For a fleeting moment, she feels envious of them and the way they’ll get to hug Veronica’s skin.

She then chides herself because is she _actually_ getting jealous of inanimate objects? And of _clothes_ , nonetheless?

“You could never,” Betty answers, voice a little scratchy. If Veronica notices this, she doesn’t say anything, instead smiling fondly at Betty before turning around.

“Zip me up?” Veronica requests softly, peering at Betty’s reflection in her full-length mirror.

Fingers trembling slightly, Betty swallows and nods, getting up from the bed and making her way towards Veronica. She takes the zipper between her index finger and thumb and slowly starts zipping upwards, fingertips brushing against the smooth skin of Veronica’s back along the way.

After the job is done, Veronica faces Betty again, a faint smile tracing her lips.

 “I got you a new shirt, by the way,” Veronica says, breaking the spell. She opens her closet and fishes out a freshly-washed and ironed denim shirt, holding it out for Betty to see. “I thought it would look good on you.”

“Ronnie, you shoul-“

Veronica presses a finger against Betty’s lips, effectively cutting her off. “I wanted to, so just let me spoil you, okay?”

Knowing it won’t get her anywhere to argue with Veronica, Betty snaps her mouth shut and nods.

“And besides,” Veronica smiles, as she starts to unbutton Betty’s shirt. Almost as though she’s done this so many times before. “I like it when you wear blue. It brings out your eyes…” she trails off, peering up at Betty through her thick lashes as she pushes the shirt off.

Spellbound and at a loss for words, Betty can only stare at Veronica, at the way the moonlight shines on her face that gives her an otherworldly glow.

She can’t even bring herself to tell Veronica that she can change herself, and the only thing she _can_ do is listen to the voice inside her head that tells her, _you like this._

Veronica takes the denim shirt off the hanger, stretching out her arm to offer it to Betty.

Betty takes it and pulls it on, and Veronica starts to button it up, taking her sweet time in doing so.

It’s quiet, and Betty’s fairly sure Veronica can hear the way her heart is pounding against her ribs with how they’re standing close to each other and not speaking a word.

“There,” Veronica murmurs, smoothing out the collar. “And I was right, it does look good on you.” she smiles softly, the beating of Betty’s heart intensifying as Veronica wraps her arms around her neck.

And God, Veronica is so beautiful with her long, dark lashes and starry brown eyes.

Then there’s this weird kind of tension surrounding them, amplified by the way Veronica toys with the hairs on the back of Betty’s neck, eyes soft and lips curled up into an affectionate smile.

As if, somehow, she’s seeing Betty in a different light.

_Shit._

Betty _really,_ really hates that Kevin was right all along.

“You know, I really like it when you let your hair down,” Veronica comments, raking her fingers through Betty’s hair.

Betty chuckles, trying to get her heartbeat back under control. “So I’ve been told.”

“Oh?” Veronica’s eyebrows shoot up to her forehead. “By whom?”

“You, mostly,” Betty shrugs, chest about to explode as Veronica shuffles closer.

“So there are… other people who’ve said the same thing?” Veronica asks, and if Betty isn’t mistaken, she sounds… jealous? “Is it the other cheerleaders?”

“I don’t- I don’t remember?” Betty questions, drawing out a pleased expression from Veronica.

“Good,” Veronica whispers, and before Betty can react, Veronica’s lips are pressed against the corner of her mouth, eyelids fluttering shut at the contact.

Then just as Veronica’s about to give her what Betty thinks is a proper kiss, Hermione’s voice startles them out of their moment and snaps the tension clean in half.

“Mija, I’m home! Is Betty with you?”

Betty’s head snaps towards the door, eyes wide as she takes a step back, missing the way Veronica’s face falls.

“Yes, mom! We’re here inside my room,” Veronica calls out, reluctantly pulling away from Betty to open the door.

“So, what have you two been up to?” Hermione asks, glancing back and forth between the pair.

The way she says it makes Betty nervous, as though she and Veronica have been up to more than what they did.

“Oh, Betty just watched me try on my new clothes,” Veronica shrugs, sweeping Betty’s arm into hers. “And I gave her that shirt I bought for her.”

Hermione smiles, expression meaningful as she looks at Betty. “That sounds nice.”

Face burning, Betty promptly averts her gaze, because why did Veronica have to phrase it that way?

“Well, I’m sure you girls are having fun, but you can continue after dinner,” Hermione says, making her way towards the kitchen and leaving them alone once again.

Veronica takes Betty’s hand and locks their fingers, sending tingles and small sparks of electricity up her skin.

“Mom’s pasta is the best,” Veronica says, leading Betty into the dining room. “You’re going to love it.”

Betty simply nods, and the rest of the night goes as expected.

None of them mention the almost-kiss that happened, and Veronica doesn’t look like she’s about to try it again.

After all, it was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment thing. They were alone, Betty was overthinking things as usual, and Veronica may be overly affectionate but it wasn’t like she was going to go as far as kissing her on the lips, right?

Except Betty can’t help but feel disappointed in the end.

* * *

 

One of Betty’s favorite things in the world is the sound of her bat colliding with the baseball with a satisfying smack, sending the ball sailing high up in the air.

Or at least within the confines of the batting cages.

She and Toni take turns at making swings, with Cheryl and Veronica staying as far away as possible in fear of getting caught up in the crossfire.

When Betty turns to check on Veronica, she’s expecting Veronica to be scrolling through her phone or chatting with Cheryl, but is caught off guard when she finds Veronica watching her intently and her lower lip tucked between her teeth.

“She is _so_ checking you out, Betty,” Toni points out, following Veronica’s line of sight. “C’mon, swing your bat and flex your muscles, you’ll see.”

“Ha ha, yeah right,” Betty flushes, but does as she’s told.

“Yep, she is absolutely thirsting after your arms,” Toni laughs, patting Betty on the back. “And she isn’t even trying to hide it. Did something happen between you two?”

Betty blushes harder, recalling Veronica’s kiss against the corner of her mouth, dangerously close to her lips. “Not- _no_ , why would you think that?”

“Sure, and I’m not dating Cheryl,” Toni drawls, and Betty flinches and drops her bat. She seriously needs to work on her lying skills. “Now, spill.”

“Okay, fine,” Betty sighs, bending down to pick up her bat. She spares Veronica another glance, who smiles and waves at her. Betty waves back, then voice dropping to a whisper, she continues, “We almost kissed. Or, well, she almost kissed me.”

Toni lets out a low whistle. “Wow. What happened after that?”

“You don’t sound surprised to hear that,” Betty raises an eyebrow, and Toni merely shrugs. “But whatever. I mean, it’s not like she would have actually gone through with it, right?” she adds with a small laugh.

Toni stares at her, much like the way Kevin does whenever Betty tries to justify Veronica’s displays of affection.

Affection that, Kevin is clear to point out, directed at her and only her.

“Uh, yes she would,” Toni says, slowly, in a tone that meant the answer was obvious. “And I mean this in the best way possible, but you seriously need to get your head out of your ass, ASAP. Now gimme that bat.”

Betty hands it over to Toni, then, flexing her arms and getting into position, Toni throws Cheryl a wink, who smirks at her in return. Veronica rolls her eyes, unimpressed.

And when Veronica grins at her, Betty wonders if Kevin and Toni are right and that she needs to stop being purposely dense and obtuse.

But Veronica is the type of girl who goes after what she wants relentlessly, and she’s not one to be subtle about it.

God, Betty doesn’t even _know_ who or what to believe anymore.

* * *

 

“You,” Cheryl points at Betty, crinkling her nose in disdain. “Are pathetic. Are you _sure_ we’re cousins?”

Betty pauses as she zips up her jeans and groans. “Oh God, not you, too.”

“Oh yes, me too,” Cheryl clucks her tongue, arms folded across her chest.

Seriously, what is up with everyone’s growing interest in pushing her to go after Veronica?

“Toni told me, about the almost-kiss,” Cheryl continues, voice growing softer.

Rubbing at her eyes, Betty falls quiet and sits on the bench, shoulders slumped in defeat. As if Cheryl needs to remind her when it’s the only thing replaying in her head at night when she’s lying in bed.

She doesn’t even want to _try_ to deny it, to write it off as nothing when deep down she knows it _was_ something.

The spark in Veronica’s eyes, the gentleness in her gaze, the ever-present fondness in her touch…

Betty runs a hand through her hair, and Cheryl sighs and sits next to her on the bench.

“Like Toni said, she really would have kissed you. But you’re second-guessing things because you’re not used to people showering you with affection. So you keep writing it off, make up excuses in your head, and shove all your emotions in a tiny box and tie it up with a flimsy little ribbon.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Betty forces her gaze to the ground, chest constricting because every word Cheryl said is true. Kevin knows it, Toni knows it, Cheryl knows it, and hell, _she_ knows it, too.

“A lot of the time, the only thing standing in the way of our happiness is ourselves,” Cheryl says with a small smile, smoothing out her skirt as she stands up. “Be brave, cousin.”

And with that, Cheryl turns on her heels and leaves, followed by Veronica bursting right in through the doors, just as Betty is about to pull on a clean shirt.

Again, nothing out of the ordinary, even as Veronica trails her fingertips up and down Betty’s arms.

“Great job at practice, B,” Veronica grins, hand still on Betty’s shoulder, pressing against the ripples.

“Did you even pay attention?” Betty laughs.

“To the practice? No. But to you?” Veronica smirks, sliding her fingers up to the back of Betty’s neck. “Yes.”

Goosebumps rise along the path Veronica’s fingertips take, and Betty’s not sure how she’s still alive, much less breathing right now. She tries to ignore the lingering touch to the best of her ability, the tiny jolts of electricity it sends throughout her skin, and the way Veronica’s eyelashes flutter.

Cheryl’s words echo in the back of her head, and Betty’s not sure if she can dismiss _this,_ dismiss Veronica’s affection as nothing more than her simply being a touchy-feely person by nature.

“B?” Veronica presses gently, when Betty doesn’t respond. “You okay?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Betty nods. “Sorry.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Betty smiles reassuringly, squeezing Veronica’s hand.

“Okay… Well, you should put on your shirt before you catch a cold,” Veronica murmurs, tapping Betty’s collarbone. “Wouldn’t want my girl to get sick, after all.”

Betty’s heart skips a beat at _my girl_ , even though it obviously isn’t meant in _that_ way. Veronica just has a bunch of nicknames for her, that’s all. B, Betty, bestie, my girl, and a whole slew of other names Veronica can list off the top of her head.

Though B and Betty will always be her personal favorites, simply because she just could never get enough of Veronica saying her name, soft and sweet and adoring all at the same time.

And as for ‘B’, Betty loves how it can be so easily attached to V, much like how she can’t ever imagine a life without Veronica.

B and V.

That’s how it was always meant to be.

And as Betty pulls her in for a hug, Veronica melting easily into her arms and sighing happily into her chest, she can’t help but think that it really is.

They really, really are.

* * *

 

Being alone with someone in a tight, cramped space is never a good idea, as far as Betty is concerned. Especially not with Veronica Lodge, with her magnetic brown eyes and dark-painted lips that are oh-so full and tempting to kiss.

So maybe Betty should have avoided going near anyone holding a cup filled with alcohol-spiked punch, because maybe then she wouldn’t have had any of that stuff spilled all over her shirt.

And maybe she should have insisted that she could clean up by herself and not let Veronica inside Reggie’s bathroom with her.

Because honestly speaking, Veronica biting her lip while her eyes freely roam Betty’s nearly bare torso is _not_ helping matters at all.

Not that it _should_ matter, because Veronica has barged in on her changing in the girls’ locker room multiple times after baseball practice. Then again, there were always other people around, and the locker room is large and spacious.

Unlike the bathroom here in Reggie’s house, which is just so tiny compared to her or Veronica’s bedroom.

And Veronica _did_ kind of undress her only a few nights ago.

But really, it’s this stupid, tiny space’s fault for putting ideas of kissing Veronica in Betty’s head.

Never mind that it’s what Betty has been wanting to do since that almost-kiss, maybe even longer than that.

(Hell, who is she trying to kid? She’s been wanting to kiss Veronica for _ages._ )

“Here, let me help,” Veronica breathes out, pulling a towel from one of the drawers and moving to the sink to dampen it.

Betty sucks in a breath as Veronica’s arm brushes against her skin, the air charged with electricity and a thousand possibilities. All of which result in her and Veronica kissing.

The silence stretches on, Veronica dutiful in wiping the stickiness out of Betty’s stomach, and Betty can’t find the strength to tell her that she can do it by herself.

“Still feeling sticky?” Veronica asks, moving closer to Betty. Eyelashes fluttering and lips slightly parted and _dammit._

“I- no. I’m good now, thanks,” Betty manages, bracing herself against the ceramic in hopes that it could help her maintain her self-control.

Veronica nods, reaches inside Betty’s backpack for the spare shirt she always carries around. To think it would serve its purpose right now, of all times.

She takes the shirt from Veronica’s outstretched hand and slides her arms into the sleeves, heart pounding against her ribs as Veronica takes yet another step closer. Again, not that it’s a big deal, because there’s barely any room to move for two people in such a small space, right?

_Wrong._

Because Veronica’s hand is now on her stomach, cradling the back of her neck with the other, and Betty swears she’s about to go insane.

_Be brave, cousin._

Whatever amount of self-control Betty had left is gone the moment Veronica’s hand slides up to her chest, pushing her to lean in and finally, _finally_ kiss Veronica.

Veronica is quick to react, pushing back against her pull, Betty’s heart hammering loudly against her ribs at the feeling of Veronica pressed up against her.

Suddenly, Betty feels very grateful for Toni spilling her drink on her. Heck, she can even forgive Toni for not being sincerely sorry at all.

The loud thumping of the bass reverberating across the entire house is completely forgotten to the both of them, too lost in their own world to care about anything else that is happening outside.

Letting go of the death grip she has on the sink, Betty opts to hold Veronica’s waist, meeting her insistent lips with equal fervor. Veronica gasps, rakes her fingernails against Betty’s nape as she kisses harder.

And it’s definitely not the alcohol talking, because Betty hasn’t had a sip since she stepped foot into this house, and Veronica has barely finished her first cup when the little accident happened.

Then, as if they’re both thinking the same thing, Betty hoists Veronica up and pins her against the door, the small, thudding sound dispelling some of her haze.

“Sorry,” Betty mumbles, and Veronica shakes her head and wraps her legs around her waist.

“It’s okay,” Veronica moans, tilting her head back as Betty mouths at her neck.

Dragging her lips lower, Betty kisses every inch of exposed skin she could find, and Veronica makes a sound that’s a cross between a gasp and a groan.

“Betty,” Veronica shudders, fingernails digging into Betty’s shoulders. Legs wrapping tighter around Betty’s waist and causing her dress to hike higher and higher.

Of all the situations Betty envisioned kissing Veronica in, this was _definitely_ not one of them. She pictured them at Pop’s, at Sweetwater River, Veronica’s house, _her_ house, but never at one of Reggie Mantle’s parties.

And certainly not in a cramped bathroom after having her top ruined by Toni’s drink.

Granted, it’s far from ideal or romantic, but when have things ever gone according to plan when Veronica is involved?

“God, you have no-“ Veronica breathes heavily, heels digging into Betty’s back. “No idea how I’ve waited-“ a short gasp, then, “so damn long for this.”

Betty hums, braces herself against the door as Veronica nips on her jaw. But apparently, Veronica isn’t done ranting just yet, and Betty’s not about to stop her, either.

“No idea-“ a sharp intake of breath, nostrils flaring slightly. “Absolutely no fucking clue-“ a kiss on her neck. “How _frustrating_ you are, Betty Cooper.”

This finally gets Betty to pull back, eyebrows shooting up as she fixes Veronica with an incredulous stare. “ _I’m_ frustrating? How do you think I feel every time you kiss me on the cheek, or when I watched you try on those dresses?”

“And how do _you_ think I feel watching you swing that damn bat at the batting cages?” Veronica retorts, chest rising and falling rapidly.

Betty huffs, eyes burning with fierce determination. Two can play at that game.

“Or when you sit so close next to me at lunch like there isn’t any space left?”

“Or the way your biceps flex when you’re lifting something heavy?”

“How about you constantly touching and squeezing my arm?”

Clicking her tongue, Veronica gives Betty’s shoulders a firm squeeze, tracing the ripples in her muscles as she trails her fingers downwards. “What, like this?”

“ _Exactly_ like that,” Betty exhales.

“Now back to the game,” Veronica says, and Betty rolls her eyes because _of course_ she’s not going to admit defeat. “How about how fucking _hot_ you look when you’re working on cars?”

“How about you undressing me and taking your sweet time buttoning up my shirt?”

“How about when I walk into the girls’ locker room and see you without a top after you’re done with baseball practice?”

“And what about the way you smack your lips after putting on lipstick?”

Veronica scoffs in disbelief. “God, you’ve been wanting to kiss me for _that_ long and you’re only getting your head out of your ass _now_?”

“Says the girl who likes to tease me,” Betty shoots back.

“Only because I wanted to rile you up hard enough so you-“

Before Veronica can finish, Betty surges back in with a newfound confidence, somewhat surprised at herself for being able to do such a thing. The Betty before Veronica, _without_ Veronica would never have found it in her to start something like this.

“-can do that,” Veronica moans in approval, breathless, running her hands down Betty’s back.

“You’re crazy,” Betty snorts.

“Crazy for you, babe,” Veronica smirks. “And clearly, you’re crazy for me, too.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because you want to kiss me again,” Veronica murmurs, low and breathy that it sends shivers down Betty’s spine. “Don’t you?”

It’s not even a question anymore. Of course she does.

Has always wanted to for heaven knows how long.

So she does.

Again, and again, and again, until Veronica’s tangling her fingers into her hair and Betty can feel the shivers racking her frame.

She doesn’t even care what people are going to say once they finally manage to get their lips (and hands) off of each other and step out of the bathroom.

(Because, like Veronica, Betty has also waited so long for this.)

* * *

 

They do walk out after a while, after fixing themselves up to the best of their ability. Veronica’s lipstick is gone and her dress is crumpled, there’s a hickey on Betty’s shoulder and her shirt is a mess full of wrinkles, both of them ignoring the stares thrown their way as they stumble out of the bathroom.

The whispers and the gossip starting to make their rounds don’t go unnoticed by Betty and Veronica, but what they do miss are Kevin, Toni, and Cheryl gathered around in the kitchen, raising their cups in a toast for a job well done.


End file.
